Riverhead Police Department Loses Another Officer

For the second time in days, the Riverhead Police Department has been left reeling by the loss of one of their own.

Police confirmed that Officer Benjamin Goodale, 42, died suddenly on Tuesday; details of how he died are not yet available.

Officer Goodale had been with the Riverhead Police Department since 1999.

The death is the second to hit the department hard in recent days. On October 7, Detective Robert Boden, 54, who served Riverhead Town for almost 32 years, died after suffering a pulmonary embolism and heart attack, his brother-in-law Lt. David Lessard said.

Hearts were heavy as members of the department paid tribute to a man who’d dedicated his life to serving others.

Throughout the dark hours, the outpouring of love from the community has helped to comfort, Lessard said. “It makes us proud to be Riverhead residents,” he said. “This is a tight-knit community and everyone really comes together in a crisis.”